Glass Industry

Sharp, the second-largest Japanese maker of liquid crystal displays, will invest ¥380 billion, or $3.2 billion, on an LCD factory to help narrow the gap with Sony in the $56 billion global flat-panel market.

The company plans to start building the plant in Sakai, a city in Osaka prefecture, in November, with production expected to begin by March 2010, the company's president, Mikio Katayama, said at a news briefing Tuesday. The factory is to have a production capacity of 72,000 panels a month, but will initially make 36,000 units a month.

Sharp's focus on larger screens helped prices of its LCD televisions gain 4 percent in the first quarter amid an industry slump. The new factory would have lower production costs, helping to bolster profitability at Sharp, which lost the top spot for the first time last year in LCD television sales to Sony and Samsung Electronics.

"Sharp's LCD TV sales are not performing well in the U.S.," said Koichi Hariya, a Tokyo-based analyst at Mizuho Securities who has a "hold" rating on Sharp. "The company is sandwiched between branded LCD TV makers such as Sony and Samsung, and cheaper non-brand producers."

Sharp plans to build the assembly plant for LCD television, and another factory for solar cells, in an industrial park occupying 120 hectares, or 360 acres, of land, according to an earlier report Tuesday carried by the Nikkei newspaper. Makers of LCD materials will invest about ¥200 billion in the park, the report said.

Corning and Asahi Glass, the world's two biggest makers of glass substrates used for LCD panels, plan to build factories in the park, Nikkei said. Dai Nippon Printing intends to build a facility to supply color filters used to produce display panels, the newspaper reported.

Sony, the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, overtook Sharp and Samsung last year to secure the top spot in the global LCD television market for the first time, according to market researcher NPD Group.

Sony had a 16 percent share of LCD television sales last year, followed by Samsung with 15 percent. Sharp slipped to third place with 11.5 percent.

AGC Flat Glass Europe, formerly Glaverbel, presented its new AntiBacterial GlassTM. A world première, AntiBacterial GlassTM kills 99.9% of bacteria and stops the spread of fungi, which, with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, represents a milestone in the fight against hospital-caught infections.

Hospital-caught infections kill more than road accidents
As many as one in every ten Europeans who go into hospital will catch a bacterial infection there, which can result in medical complications, longer hospital stays and, in the worst case, death. Some 50,000 people in Europe are estimated to die every year from infections they picked up whilst hospitalised for other illnesses. That’s an astounding 21% more than the number of Europeans killed in road traffic accidents. MRSA, bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, present a particular problem in many European countries. The cost of these infections is also significant monetarily: surgical site infections alone could be costing European healthcare as much as €19bn annually.

Prevention is better than cure Many hospital-caught, or ‘nosocomial’, bacterial infections can be prevented. Improved hygiene practices such as thorough hand-washing are crucial, but alone cannot solve the problem. Healthcare professionals and managers are increasingly looking to other means that could help in combatting this crisis, including architectural prevention. According to Dr Jean Vanderpas, Epidemiology and Hospital Hygiene unit of the Brugmann hospital in Brussels, in order to reduce hospital acquired infections “we must move towards much stricter measures in terms of architecture. On top of current measures we must consider the use of materials that reduce the bacterial load in the environment.” Research shows that a mere five-second contact with a contaminated surface is sufficient to pick up 99% of the bacteria present there. AntiBacterial GlassTM destroys 99.9% of all bacteria on its surface, and so could become instrumental in reducing the bacterial load on surfaces where a sterile environment is essential.

The Department of Health’s creation of a £100 million Energy Fund to help NHS organisations improve their energy efficiency in the light of the Climate Change Programme is welcome news, especially since the savings will be ploughed back into patient care. But what options do procurers have? Gerry Mitchell, innovations manager at leading UK glass wool insulation manufacturer Saint-Gobain Isover, advises.

When it is possible to insulate a home in Europe so well that it can be heated with just a few tea lights, the potential for improving the thermal performance of healthcare buildings becomes too good to ignore.

Of course, in an ideal world these measures are designed in from the beginning so that a brand-new healthcare building gets off to the best possible start in terms of optimum energy performance. Glass wool insulation in the roof, walls and floors helps to achieve this.

But glass wool insulation can also help the many buildings that would otherwise be demolished to make way for a bigger, better replacement because often that is the most cost effective way of solving an energy-deficiency problem.

However, this process is also incredibly disruptive, especially if the new building has to be built on the footprint of the old as is usually the case on restricted brownfield sites. Patients least of all cannot be expected to handle such disruption.

Philip Johnson's Glass House, the monument to modernist architecture built in New Canaan, Conn., in 1949, opened to the public for the first time in its 50-plus year history in April-but already plans are being made to close the tourist site for extensive renovations. The National Trust for Historic Preservation site will close late next year as it is prepared for a major renovation next winter, including the full replacement of its glass.

A 1996 Conditions Survey Report by Philip Johnson, Ritchie and Fiore Architects and an extensive conditions survey in the summer of 2006 by Glass House preservationist Sandy Cross revealed that the house's steel framing system has become corroded and needs to be replaced.

"The corrosion of the steel (severe in several locations) was contributing not only to the degradation of the steel itself, but also was affecting the glass-the glass is cracked in a few areas due to the pressure placed on it by the expansion of the steel caused by oxide jacking," Cross says.

The renovation will aim to prevent moisture infiltration problems, which has led to much of the deterioration. To reach the source of the problem, contractors will need to go through the house's glass walls.

"In order to access and address the steel corrosion, the glass will need to be removed and some steel components will need to be disassembled," Cross says, "so some glass breakage may be inevitable, thereby requiring glass replacement anyway."

While the glass supplier has been selected, a glazing contractor has not as yet.

The biggest concern of the renovation effort is to maintain the original design intent of the Glass House. However, professionals within the glass industry can't help but note that numerous advances have been made in the glass industry over the last 58 years since the structure was completed. Several professionals offered their advice on the products they'd recommend if the Glass House were to be completed today.

Glass towers are rising outside Manhattan, as big-name developers reappropriate the design sensibility that reshaped the New York skyline in order to take advantage of the panorama they created.

"The best views are looking at Manhattan, not looking out from Manhattan," a professor of architecture at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Laurie Hawkinson, said.

The glass towers appear to be bringing a Manhattan sensibility to Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. But developers and architects say the new buildings appeal to contemporary aesthetes, not just Manhattanites fleeing higher rents.

Glass towers are rising outside Manhattan, as big-name developers reappropriate the design sensibility that reshaped the New York skyline in order to take advantage of the panorama they created.

"The best views are looking at Manhattan, not looking out from Manhattan," a professor of architecture at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Laurie Hawkinson, said.

The glass towers appear to be bringing a Manhattan sensibility to Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. But developers and architects say the new buildings appeal to contemporary aesthetes, not just Manhattanites fleeing higher rents.

"Having views has always been one of the no. 1 value points of new construction offerings," Ms. Urgo, whose firm has handled sales for glass towers in Queens and the Riverdale section of the Bronx, said. "When you're in the living room of an all-glass space, your eye goes out and expands that space tremendously."

Glass is design's "next step," Ms. Urgo added. "Like what comes after the iPod. The new next step here is floor to ceiling glass."

In preparation for the athletes competing in Beijing next year, DuPont innovations play a critical role in the sustainable construction of the Beichen National Convention Center, which will be the hub of the international broadcast media covering the athletic competition.

DuPont innovations will help protect the building envelope and improve indoor comfort, as well as save significantly on the building's energy-costs by reducing heat transfer. DuPont™ Tyvek® ThermaWrap™ and Tyvek® SD2 Vapor Control Layer offer superior strength and durability, a further benefit in the drive toward reducing the carbon footprint of buildings.

"We are very excited to see our products being used in this project, not only for the energy efficiency benefits of our offering to this remarkable building, but more importantly, for as its one way to contribute to the city's and China's sustainability efforts," Doug Muzyka, president of DuPont Greater China, said. In a major and prestigious construction project, the materials will work together with an interlayer of glasswool insulation to create a thermal and moisture control solution.

Designed by RMJM Architects and engineered by Ove Arup, the Convention Center is a 270,000 square meter steel structure with a roofing area exceeding 50,000 square meters. In addition to serving as the main press center during the athletic competition in 2008, the building also will serve as the stadium for the Fencing and Modern Pentathlon competitions.

The roof will be constructed of two layers of profiled steel, between which the membranes and insulation will create an air-tight, water-tight, yet vapor-permeable seal to protect the building envelope and improve interior comfort - a key function for a building that will house thousands of people and lots of electronic equipment.

DuPont™ Tyvek® ThermaWrap™ is a metalized breather membrane which combines high reflectivity and low emissivity surfaces to reduce radiant heat transfer with superior moisture diffusion capacity. The membrane also blocks radiant heat gains in the summer, which will be a significant benefit considering the timing of the games. DuPont™ Tyvek® SD2, is an ultra-strong vapor control layer and air-leakage barrier.

Blue LEDs set into the road surface of the B 311, similar to those used as runway markings on airfields, show the way at night as drivers enter St. Johann im Pongau; the same blue which is used throughout the Bluetower. The choice of the colour of the sky - which is said to exert a calming force - is no accident: the Leikermoser company wanted to venture into hitherto unexplored territory in the design of this new service station. "Our world begins where that of the multinationals ends", says Franz Leikermoser, Managing Director of the largest Salzburg oil trading company.

The spiral-shaped support structure at the centre of the Bluetower has a reinforced concrete core containing plumbing and supply shafts. It also contains a panorama lift and the staircase. The three floors above the petrol station shop are designed for use as office and business space. Glazed on all sides, it offers a magnificent view of the Innergebirg mountains.

Given that the facade around the parapet has no horizontal cross members, the glazing had to be designed so that, in case of fire, the outer layer would exhibit the required strength and the necessary fire-restraining effect to offer protection for at least 30 minutes. The façade structure - developed, prefabricated and erected by Metallbau Saller from Bischofshofen/Austria - meets these demands in full, a fact confirmed by the report by IBS, the State Institute for Preventive Fire Protection in Linz: "Based on the test documentation submitted for the SCHOTT PYRAN point-supported glazing system and an examination of the layered construction of these structural elements, we conclude that it offers protection against horizontal and vertical fire spread and also against the spread of fire to adjacent fire compartments.

Inc. today ranked Mammen Glass & Mirror, Inc. No. 3,341 on its firstever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

"The Inc. 5,000 provides the most comprehensive look ever at the most important part of the economy - the entrepreneurial part," said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. "The expansion of the list has allowed us to tell the stories of larger companies, older companies, and a wealth of companies in industries like Manufacturing and Construction that are underreported in the business media."

The 2007 Inc. 5,000, as revealed online at www.inc.com, reported median revenue of $9.4 million and median three-year growth of 140 percent. Complete information on this year's Inc. 5,000, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The list features a profile for each company, almost all of them written as a result of Inc. interviews with management. In addition, the list is searchable according to numerous criteria, including industry, city, state, region, and year founded.

"We are honored to be included in Inc. Magazine's list," said Chris Mammen, president. "Some of the most well-known and respected companies in America appear on this list, and our inclusion is a direct result of our employees' hard work and our customers' loyalty. It is especially encouraging to find this success through Christian management principles. We intend to continue pursuing the quality performance that brought us to this point. The growth rate highlighted by the list is not a goal in itself, but is the result of pursuing quality as our goal."

The news sent shares in the maker of windshields, crystal and soundproof glass up 6.1 percent to 627 yen on Tuesday, outpacing the Nikkei average , which rose 1.3 percent.

The plant, to go online in summer 2008 with an initial production of 500,000 windshields a year, will supply windshields to local factories, some to be exported to the U.S. and Europe, spokesman Tetsuya Higaki said.

Nippon Sheet Glass, which bought bigger maker Pilkington in June 2006, is betting on overseas growth in its fight against bigger peer Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. to grab orders from Japanese automakers.

The plant, to be built in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, would be Nippon Sheet Glass's first in India.

Asahi Glass dominates India's car glass market with a nearly 80 percent share, followed by France's Saint-Gobain with some 20 percent, according to the Nikkei business daily.

Residential window and door manufacturer Pella Corp., of Pella, Iowa, acquired EFCO Corp., of Monett, Mo., on Aug. 28 for an undisclosed amount, according to an Aug. 30 Pella release. The aluminum curtain wall, window and storefront company will now be known as EFCO, a Pella Company, according to the release.

EFCO will continue to produce EFCO-brand products in Monett, and its 1,600 employees will remain at the company. EFCO's independent representatives also will continue to sell its products nationwide during the transition to new ownership, according to the release.

"The addition of EFCO people, processes and products to the Pella system, along with the support of their independent representatives, will provide even more innovative options for commercial customers seeking quality solutions to meet their fenestration needs," Pella President and CEO Mel Haught said in the release.

EFCO will continue to operate as a privately held company under Pella ownership, Haught said.

Chris Fuldner, EFCO's CEO, said the acquisition by Pella should allow the business to continue to meet the future needs of the commercial building industry. "When I joined the business 33 years ago, we employed about 60 people," Fuldner said in the release. "Today, we're proud to provide careers for the 1,600 people who work for EFCO and we're very proud the company is joining Pella, an industry leader and innovator which shares the same values, Midwestern roots and strong work ethic focused on serving customers."

Pella designs, tests, manufactures and installs windows and doors for new construction, remodeling and replacement applications. The company has more than 9,000 team members.

CSR said its $690 million transaction would have an estimated, underwritten $180 million equity injection funded by the reintroduction of a dividend reinvestment plan (DRP).

"Standard & Poor's will seek to understand how quickly this acquisition debt will be amortised in light of the future DRP injection and the amount of future free cash flow that will be applied to debt reduction," the ratings agency said.

"The future capital needs and execution challenges of the glass operations, in combination with CSR's other capital growth needs, will also be considered.

"The rating could be lowered if Standard & Poor's believes that the credit metrics will remain weak for a sustained period and will not return to be within managements stated financial policy in the medium term.

Pilkington Australasia operates three glass manufacturing facilities in Dandenong in Victoria and Ingleburn and Alexandria in NSW.

It produces around 215,000 tonnes of float glass and rolled glass, with 32 distribution sites across Australia and New Zealand undertaking cutting, toughening and laminating.

The business has a 60 per cent share of the architectural glass market in Australasia and 30 per cent of the value added glass distributor market in Australia.

Standard & Poor's noted CSR's undertaking to refurbish the Dandenong plant in the near term would require additional capital, but would "significantly" enhance CSR's earnings in the medium term.

Greater use of varieties of glass by architects and car designers for civil construction and automotive applications is providing impetus to growth. About 70% of flat glass is used in construction industry. On the regional front, Europe, Asia and North America account for over 90% of global flat glass consumption.

Flat glass market bears a positive outlook as the industry derives growth from new smart-glass products such as electrochromic, switchable glass, self-cleaning window glass and heads-up display windscreens. "Development of new smart glass products such as self-cleaning glass and light-control products is forecast to boost demand for flat glass" according to research published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Technologies such as electrochromic windows and liquid-crystal glass are also gaining market acceptance. Architectural market for advanced flat glass will benefit from features like low-emissivity, reflective and smart glass.

Greater use of varieties of glass by architects and car designers for civil construction and automotive applications is providing impetus to growth. About 70% of flat glass is used in construction industry. On the regional front, Europe, Asia and North America account for over 90% of global flat glass consumption.

Development of new smart glass products such as self-cleaning glass and light-control products is forecast to boost demand for flat glass
Over the years, the glass industry witnessed a gradual shift away from single glazing to double/insulated glazing. Added to this, implementation of new legislation for energy efficiency glass has made double-glazing mandatory in most of parts of the world. These stringent regulations have led to greater energy-efficient coated glass.

The float glass industry is highly concentrated with about four players accounting for a sizable share of the market. Asahi Glass, NSG/Pilkington, Saint Gobain, Guardian are the major players. Other market participants include PPG, Central Glass, Hankuk, Visteon, Cardinal Glass Industries.

The report titled Flat Glass: A Global Strategic Business Report, provides an extensive review of market trends, drivers, players and competition among others. The report also offers profiles of leading players and presents recent developments, mergers, acquisitions, as well as other strategic industry activities. The study analyzes flat glass market by major product segments including float glass, sheet glass and rolled glass, and end use segments construction, automotive and specialty. Detailed analysis is provided for major geographic markets including United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East.

GLASS ROADS: Cr Francis Maher, left, with council solid waste manager Willi Borst, and Fulton Hogan's Wayne Barnett with the recycled glass which will be used in roading.

SOURCE: Scott Hammond/Marlborough Express

Marlborough's recycled glass is now finding a home in the region's roads following a successful trial of including glass in base course.

Until now glass has been crushed and put into landfill, but Fulton Hogan has been trialling a scheme since the beginning of the year at its Renwick crushing plant, where the glass is added in with the aggregate as it starts the crushing process.

The base course material has passed Transit New Zealand roading requirements, and more importantly, has been sold for use in roads, carparks and driveways.

Regulations allow for up to five percent glass material in base course for roading.

About 2000 cubic metres of the base course material has been processed, and a lot has been used in roading around Shakespeare Bay.

The marketing test means the project has been a success, and recycling of the glass into roading material will continue.

It also means people will not have to separate coloured glass at the Marlborough District Council's Wither Rd transfer station.

Japan-based Asahi Glass is considering changing the site where it will establish its fifth Taiwan-based glass substrate plant since construction of related facilities may be postponed due to a recent government environment assessment team report which said that the Tree Valley Park industrial park is not suited for development, according to Tetsuji Kakimoto, chairman and president of Asahi Glass Fine Techno Taiwan (AFT), a 100% owned subsidiary of Japan-based Asahi Glass.

The Japan-based company is not ruling out the possibility of moving the new line to Korea, Kakimoto said.

Kakimoto commented that the environment reassessment has brought problems for the company and thus it has decided to reconsider the establishment its new plant in Taiwan. Although he, personally, hopes that Asahi can still build the plant in Taiwan as scheduled, the Japan-based company has not reached a final decision yet.

Solar Innovations submitted 3' wide by 8' tall folding glass wall panels for the Miami Dade testing. This folding glass wall passed for up to 20 panels in length (60' wide), and Solar Innovations has received its Folding Glass Wall Notice of Approval (NOA) number. In addition to Solar Innovations' Folding Glass Walls already being certified as hurricane rated, Miami Dade certification now bumps Solar to the highest overall coastal rating achievable. This number (07-0326.07) allows Solar Innovations' folding glass walls to be installed in any county with Miami Dade requirements for hurricane compliance. These requirements are the most stringent in the country for hurricane compliant products, making this quite an accomplishment.

Solar Innovations' folding glass walls are designed with no breach of the thermal break anywhere in the system, including the hinges. The walls received excellent air and water infiltration test results due to the continuous weather seal on the inside surface. The gaskets are chemically adhered at the corners, rather than simply abutted against each other, and they contain a shrink-resistant cord to enhance the long-term performance of the wall.

Solar Innovations' folding glass walls are easy to operate. They glide almost effortlessly along the sill track due in large part to our uniquely elongated trolley design, which properly distributes and balances the weight. The unique triple knuckle hinge design with stainless steel impregnated bushings prevents sagging of the wall, even with large panels.

Solar Innovations' folding glass features the highest quality three-point or five-point locking mechanisms and tamper resistant hinges. The flush bolts are easy to operate and are recessed into the frame of the door for clean sight lines.

Charles E. Bunch, chairman and chief executive officer of PPG Industries, described for investment analysts here today the company’s progress toward achieving its vision of continuing to be the leading coatings and specialty products and services company. He also stated that PPG’s strong first quarter results demonstrate the strength and execution of the company's strategy.

"We are very proud of our first quarter financial results, not only because they were achieved despite today’s difficult economic environment," Bunch said, "but also because these results demonstrate our ability to consistently deliver profitable growth. They were due, in part, to our broad range of customers and our increasingly strong global footprint. What's more, the results are the outcome of the successful execution of our strategies over the past several years to reshape PPG and achieve our vision."

Last month, the company reported record sales for the first quarter – or any quarter in the company's history – of $2.9 billion, surpassing first quarter 2006 record sales by 11 percent.

Burj Dubai, on course to becoming the world's tallest tower, is taking its final shimmering form as installation of curtain wall glass panels commenced on Level 19 of the super-structure developed by Emaar Properties.

Burj Dubai is currently over 125 floors tall and one of the five tallest structures in the world. "The structure of Burj Dubai is progressing on schedule and, now, with the start of the curtain wall installation, the finishing works will proceed at full speed. With the tower's facade being put in place the elegant shape and form as envisaged in the architectural design will become reality," said Mr Greg Sang, Assistant Director - Projects, Emaar Properties. "The contractors have put in place an accelerated programme to fabricate and install the panels, which will enable the on-schedule completion of the tower."

Pikington has taken a leaf out of children's favourite, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and helped to create two glass elevators. The lifts in The Shires shopping centre in Leicester have been created using 400m2 of Pilkington Planar/Sentry Glas Plus with Pilkington OptiWhite.

The world's leading forces in structural glass systems and laminate interlayers have joined together to create the ultimate in strength, safety, durability and appearance in laminated structural glass - the Pilkington Planar/Sentry Glas Plus system. This unique collaboration between Pilkington and DuPont results in a robust system that enables architects to extend the barriers of glass design. The Sentry Glas Plus system consists of a laminated structural glass that is thin and light, wh! ilst allowi! ng for the creation of larger glass panels with a reduced number of support fixings, whilst still meeting demanding structural and safety requirements.

The combination of Pilkington OptiWhite glass within the Pilkington Planar/Sentry Glas Plus system results in improved light transmission and viewing clarity which both adds to the building's internal appearance and the experience of the visitors to the shopping centre.

Often, window films with the most sun control and glare reduction capabilities are the ones that are most internally reflective, making them difficult to see through, especially at night.

3M Scotchtint Night Vision window films reduce solar heat by up to 71%, block 99% of damaging UV rays, and reduce glare by 83% - one of the top performers in sun control window tinting.

Additionally, Night Vision's interior reflectivity is significantly lower than competing films, allowing for more natural light in the room and a better view to the outside.

3M has developed the Night Vision range with a patented technology that maximises sun control capabilities while reducing the reflectivity to allow for clear, unobstructed views. The same technology also makes the film colour-stable, significantly reducing the film fading and turning purple which often affects standard dyed films.

An important feature of the Night Vision's films is their natural colour. The Night Vision range invites warm, natural light, enhancing the ambience.

Homeowners, especially in warm, sunny climates, will enjoy the many advantages that 3M Night Vision window films offer over other sun-control options, heavy drapes or blinds.

And with the ability to significantly block the amount of heat that is transmitted through windows, Night Vision films make the home more comfortable and with reduced air-conditioning costs.

The 3M Night Vision range of window films come in four shades with varying degrees of sun control capabilities. As with other 3M window films, the Night Vision range carries one of the most comprehensive warranties in the industry for both films and installation.